Planning Livable and Sustainable Projects Annual Meeting AASHTO Subcommittee on Design Columbia, South Carolina July 25-29, 2010 Erika Rush, AICP Director of Planning Urban Engineers

Planning Livable and Sustainable Projects Case Study: Southern New Castle County Infrastructure Master Plan Project Context Making Sustainable Decisions Tools and Lessons

Planning in Delaware State Planning Office – Land Use Planning Act/ Preliminary Land Use Service Local governments must have comprehensive plans that must have a “Circulation” element (22 Delaware Code §702 )

DelDOT Responsible for: Partnership role: Providing an adequate road system Protecting the safe and smooth flow of traffic 13,000 lane miles (90% of total lane miles) Partnership role: - Works towards consensus among many levels of government

Livable Delaware Move toward a more sustainable lifestyle: Affordable housing Viable agriculture Desirable communities People can age in community More opportunity for physically active recreation Preserved open space Less consumption of scarce natural resources Less non-renewable energy consumption More transportation options

Sustainability Fiscally more wise Better conservation of resources Reduced impacts to communities and people Approach from a regional, corridor, project level – objective is to make better, more sustainable decisions at every level

190 square mile area Middletown pop: 12,152 Odessa pop: 337 Townsend pop: 380 New Castle C & D Canal Middletown, Odessa & Townsend (MOT) Kent Sussex 2007, New Castle County

Anticipated Future Growth About 43,000 additional people/over 15,000 households over next 25 years = At least $770M in transportation investment At least $100M in sewers over 20 years $380M to support over 11,000 new students over a 10 year period

A Panoply of Plans: With a Piece Missing County Comprehensive Plan Sub-regional Master Plans Municipal Comprehensive Plans Site plans

Southern New Castle County Memorandum of Agreement September 2006 – Memorialized a recognized need for a coordinated approach to future infrastructure: - Delaware Department of Transportation - New Castle County - Office of State Planning Coordination - Delaware Department of Agriculture - Wilmington Area Planning Council (WILMAPCO) - Appoquinimink, Colonial and Smyrna School Districts - Towns of Middletown, Odessa and Townsend

Southern New Castle County Memorandum of Agreement Agreement to plan, program, construct and coordinate policies and programs for developing infrastructure “Infrastructure Master Plan” to be developed Recognition that coordination also needed with key plans and projects already underway

Project and Plan Coordination DelDOT - Route 301 project New Castle County - Comprehensive Plan Update School Districts - 10 Year Comprehensive Building Plans

How to Make Future Growth Sustainable? Infill New development What is the framework for making decisions? Where can/will future growth be located? What is the effect on infrastructure?

Environmental: Protected/ Partially Protected State Resource Areas Ag Land (permanently preserved) Critical Areas (DNREC) Natural Areas (DNREC) National Wetlands State Wetlands Forest/Well/Recharge Water

Sewer Service Areas 3 3 1 2 1 1 2 3 2

Transportation Projects in 2009-2014 CTP

School Districts 10 year Comprehensive Building Plans

School Siting Criteria Land requirements for new schools: Elementary – 10 acre base plus one acre per 100 students of school capacity Middle or Junior School – 20 acre base plus one acre per 100 students of school capacity High School – 30 acre base plus one acre per 100 students of final school capacity

Site Selection Criteria Population of district Shortest student travel desired/available infrastructure (roads and utilities) Land cost a significant factor

Affect on Sustainability Ideal sustainable location may be sacrificed for land that is donated More pressure to develop outlying areas Land that is donated may not be proximate to programmed infrastructure and county or local growth objectives

White Hall Bayberry Odessa AHS Highlands Odessa National Westown Green Giant

Subregional Plans Framework: Sewer service areas Transportation network

Two Subregional Plans – Two Typical Scenarios Boyds Corner Area MOT Area: Limits to growth Boyds Corner Area: New town MOT

Middletown Implementing Westown and Eastown Plans 301 Eastown 299 SR1 71

Odessa Mixed use development coming on line Some future development potential – a number of small parcels SR 1 13 299

Townsend Westown Updating Comprehensive Plan Contemplating TDR Developing open space St. Andrews 71

MOT Subregional Plan Progress Townsend revised Plan Update to address growth issues, working to link green infrastructure Appoquinimink School District working to coordinate school sites in future development Mayors develop working relationship and build off each others’ experience - sidewalk ordinance, developer agreements

Boyds Corner Area New Town: Significant land under single ownership to be developed as phased community Boyds Corner Area

To Help Make a Place Sustainable Make it Walkable and Transit Ready With the right mix of Homes and Businesses Master (detailed) Planning A strong Planning Process as well as a strong Implementation process.

Preferences are in Conflict Spacious lands that they control as private Minimal government “interference” Lowest possible “taxes” Affordable living Immediate service by emergency personnel A variety of recreation activities Maximum return on real estate investments On demand transit (mostly trains) Sidewalks that they don’t have to shovel and that no one else can use Easy access to the goods and services they need

Recent Development Trends Tendency has been: Larger lots Larger houses Less multi-family Less mixed use Results have been: Higher housing / living costs Higher transportation expenditures More automobile dependence More energy consumption Less sustainability

Livability Means A Focus on the Complete Picture DUs /acre and LOS miss the real issues. How to: Use land more efficiently Plan communities, not subdivisions Allow a mix of uses Put schools at the heart of the community Design for walkability Design for transit readiness Use Universal Design principles Demand quality construction

Getting There Collaborative master planning for mixed use, walkable, transit ready communities Good examples of the preferred Clear and consistent direction to property owners and developers Complete Streets (Executive Order # 6) “Smart Code” approach

Smart Code http://www.dpz.com

Master Plans Include A comprehensive package of: Mix of housing options and necessary goods and services Utility infrastructure Transit ready/friendly Universal design inside and out Quality materials/aesthetically pleasing design Implementation plan including financing and operations

Boyds Corner Area Plan: Partnering for Sustainability Working to create east – west network Coordinating internal network with programmed CTP projects and Route 301 currently under design Coordinating land use and trip generation methodology and assumptions for mixed use Discussing community design details Helping to coordinate resource agency review and approvals Ultimate objective – developer agreement for improvements tied to phasing

Lessons Need an agreement and leaders Keep definition of infrastructure broad and be inclusive of partners Create forum to discuss – facilitate to outcomes, one step at a time Be flexible Create ownership of process and product Work at a regional, subregional, and parcel level

Tools Needed at All Levels State Livable Delaware Complete Streets (DelDOT) County Smart Code (New Castle County) Subregional/Local - Master Plan Sidewalk Ordinance Developer agreements

Plan Implementation Requires Strong government leadership/vision at all levels Active involvement and commitment from land owners Strong written agreements Money Courage Creativity Tenacity Attention to details

Thank you! Erika Rush Urban Engineers, Inc. elrush@urbanengineers.com 215 922 8080 www.urbanengineers.com